Charmed (TV Series)
Charmed is an American television series that ran for eight seasons on The WB. It was produced by Aaron Spelling and is about three sisters who are the world's most powerful good witches, known throughout the supernatural community as "The Charmed Ones" but known to everyone else as the Halliwells. Each sister possesses unique magical powers that grow and evolve over the course of their lives. The Charmed Ones live together in a manor house and use their supernatural abilities to battle the warlocks, demons and other evil forces that populate San Francisco, California, to protect the innocent and good magical beings. The show was the last in its generation of supernatural-themed shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Roswell, and has many times been noted for its mixing of multiple genres (from horror and fantasy to comedy and even soap), as well as continuing after a number of archetypal jump the shark moments, most famously the departure of one of the leading actresses at the end of season three. It also had the highest rated debut (until the debut of Smallville at 8.4 million), for the WB Television Network, with 7.7 million viewers tuning in for the series premiere, "Something Wicca This Way Comes". In January 2006, with the airing of "Payback's a Witch", Charmed became the longest running show with all-female leads, surpassing Laverne & Shirley. However, it was overtaken by Desperate Housewives in 2012, which completed with 180 episodes opposed to Charmed's 178 episodes. The series ended its run on May 21, 2006. The Charmed series finale, "Forever Charmed", pulled in a season high of 4.49 million viewers. Premise The story of Charmed began with the three Halliwell sisters — Prue, Piper, and Phoebe — coming together six months after the death of their grandmother. Moving back into the family Manor in San Francisco, the youngest sister, Phoebe, discovered an old book — the Book of Shadows — in the attic. Reading an incantation from it, she unwittingly set in motion events that fulfilled an ancient prophecy. Strange and harrowing occurrences began which eventually led the sisters to realize that they are witches. They discovered that not only do they possess supernatural powers, but they come from a long line of powerful witches. The first in the line, Melinda Warren, was burned at the stake in the Salem Witch Trials. However, before she died, Melinda prophesied that each coming generation of Warren (later Halliwell) witches would grow stronger and stronger, culminating in the arrival of three sisters — the strongest good witches the world had ever seen; the three sisters would form The Power of Three, the most powerful magical force ever. Prue Halliwell, the oldest sister, developed the power of Telekinesis, where she could move things with her mind, later gaining the power of Astral Projection unexpectedly, where she could essentially make a clone of herself appear wherever she desired. Piper, the middle child, was initially given the power to freeze "time". However, she can only freeze molecules; she later develops the power to speed up molecules so they blow up: Molecular Combustion. Phoebe, the youngest sister, had the original power of Premonition, at first being able to see future events and later past events as well, which is often used to reveal the truth. Phoebe later obtained the power to levitate, which let her defy gravity while using her martial arts skills. Her empathic powers developed in later years where she could read the feelings and emotions of others. Phoebe could also affect the supernatural powers of other beings whose powers were tied to their emotions After the tragic death of Prue, it was revealed that the sisters had a younger half-sister named Paige Matthews. She was born to their mother Patty and Sam, Patty's Whitelighter and guardian angel for witches. As such a relationship was forbidden and unheard of at the time, the baby was given to a nun and later adopted by the Matthews family. Her birth parents requested only that her first name begin with 'P' to continue the tradition. From her Whitelighter father, Paige inherited the power to "orb". This also had an effect on the powers she inherited from Patty: instead of Telekinesis, Paige is able to call for an object; the object in question will then either orb to her or to a location she directs with her thoughts or gestures. Though this power requires the use of verbal commands, she has been able to do so silently when in a state of enhanced power, and in a few other instances. This power is called telekinetic orbing. In Season 5 Paige revealed that she also has other whitelighter powers, such as shapeshifting. Halfway through Season 8, Paige developed more of her Whitelighter side by being able to heal and locate charges by sensing them. A central theme throughout the show's run is the sisters' struggle to balance normal lives with their supernatural responsibilities. The burden of keeping their destinies a secret from the outside world has repeatedly created tensions in their friendships, workplaces, and romantic relationships. Only a few knew their secret and helped them on a regular basis. The most important was Leo Wyatt, a Whitelighter assigned by the Elders to guide and protect the sisters. Leo means a great deal to the sisters both professionally and personally: he heals their wounds, advises them collectively and individually, and mediates between them and the enigmatic Elders. He also becomes the love of Piper's life, her husband, and father of her children. Others who have kept the Charmed Ones' secret over the years include policemen Andy Trudeau and Darryl Morris, tormented half-demon Cole Turner, the mysterious time-traveler Chris Perry, the sisters Christy and Billie Jenkins, and Paige's husband, Henry Mitchell. Characters Main Prue halliwell(I).jpg|Prudence Halliwell Piper1.jpg|Piper Halliwell Phoebe1.jpg|Phoebe Halliwell Paige matthews.png|Paige Matthews * Prudence Halliwell - (Shannen Doherty) (Seasons 1-3) : Born October 28, 1970, Prue was the eldest Halliwell sister. Born with the power of Telekinesis, she later manifested an Astral Projection ability. Strong-willed, controlling and intelligent, she would often take charge of situations and had always been overprotective of her two sisters, Piper and Phoebe. Having spent her childhood taking care of her two younger sisters after the death of their mother, she became responsible, with a fierce determination at whatever she did, including fighting demons, and eventually took up the justified reputation of being the most powerful and devout Charmed One. Though at times Prue let pride dictate her way of handling things, she never let her personal life interfere with her work life. On May 17, 2001, she was tragically killed by Shax, a demon hitman sent by the Source, temporarily severing the Power of Three altogether. Of course, Prue's formidable powers and strong disposition ensured that she will never be forgotten, and it was hinted that she continued to help her sisters from the afterlife (sometimes turning the pages of the Book of Shadows), and in the season seven finale, Prue indirectly lent her astral projection power to her sisters. This is indicated by Piper saying "Thank you, Prue," after the spell's effect is over. * Piper Halliwell - (Holly Marie Combs) : Piper was born on August 7, 1973, and was the middle child until Prue's death. Her powers revolve around the manipulation of molecules: Molecular Immobilization, Molecular Combustion, and Molecular Acceleration. She was most concerned with having a normal life and always had reservations about her life as a Charmed One. When she first became a Charmed One she was quiet and reserved; often having to mediate between Prue and Phoebe. In time, her demure attitude disappeared, especially after Prue died, and she developed a stronger, more sarcastic and brilliant attitude to life and being a Charmed One. She eventually became a mother of three children: two sons (Wyatt and Chris) and a daughter (Melinda, according to the official magazine) with her husband Leo Wyatt, and went to great lengths to protect her children. In the series finale, the final montage shows her with a granddaughter.3Piper is also an accomplished mediator and arbitrator, presumably a result of long years of peacemaking in her somewhat quarrelsome family. Her love of food steered her to a career in the culinary arts, which led her to own a club and, as revealed in the last episode and the comics, her own restaurant. With the death of Prue, Piper came to be considered the most powerful Charmed One and defining character in Charmed. * Phoebe Halliwell - (Alyssa Milano) : Phoebe, born November 2, 1975, was the original baby of the family and a spontaneous, free-spirited young woman who reveled in her witchcraft heritage. The power she was born with was premonitions, which grew to enable her to see into the past as well as the future, and later allowed her to even astral-project herself into the future. As she grew as a witch, she developed the power of levitation, which she often combined with her martial-arts skills to knock out her opponents, as well as the power of empathy, which allowed her to sense the emotions of others. Though these two active powers were later stripped from her since she exploited them for personal gain, the comics have shown that she has regained them back in an advanced form, which allowed her to reflect someone's emotions back at them. She is a romantic, and later became a successful columnist and author. Early on, she had a turbulent relationship with her older sister Prue, and later mediated between Piper and Paige. Her longest relationships were with Cole Turner for over a year, and with Coop. She and Coop were married in 2006 by the Angel of Destiny, as seen in the series finale, and eventually had three daughters. She continued to work at the Bay Mirror and also wrote a book on finding love. * Paige Matthews - (Rose McGowan) (Seasons 4-8) : Born on August 2, 1977, after a secret love affair with her Whitelighter, Samuel Wilder, the Charmed Ones' mother, Patty Halliwell, gave birth to a fourth daughter. Paige was put up for adoption because her parents' love was forbidden. Her personality is bold and vibrant, adding a new dynamic to the show from season 4 onwards. Paige's birth power was telekinesis, but because she was part-Whitelighter this ability combined with her natural orbing to create telekinetic orbing. She came into the Craft late but learned to use it very quickly, aiding in the vanquish of The Source of All Evil and numerous other formidable dark forces. In Season 8, she developed the ability to heal those she loved, starting with Henry. She was driven to become a "full-time witch", and had a hard time finding a career she was content with, eventually settling with her destiny as a Whitelighter, like her father. Paige married mortal parole officer, Henry Mitchell, and they had twin daughters and an adopted son, Henry Jr. Supporting * Andy Trudeau - (T.W. King) (Season 1) & (Chris Boyd) (Unaired Pilot) : Andy was the sisters' childhood friend and Prue's love interest. He served as the sisters' initial connection to the police force once he learns of the girls' activities, as well as the first conflict between the girls' secret and normal lives. Andy was killed by the demon Rodriguez when trying to protect the girls in the finale of season one. * Darryl Morris - (Dorian Gregory) (Seasons 1-7) : Darryl, who was Andy's partner, took over the role as the Halliwells' police connection after Andy's tragic demise. He continued to cover up for the sisters once he learned their secret, even after the events which led to him almost being executed through a lethal injection until his wife later forced him to move to another state. * Leo Wyatt - (Brian Krause) (Recurring Season 1; Seasons 2-8) : Leo was the sisters' Whitelighter in the beginning and soon became romantically involved with Piper. Leo's magical promotions provided the show's portrayal of a supernatural ladder of success and struggle between career and family. His relationship with Piper was the first of many conflicts between the Halliwells and the Elders. He eventually became mortal to be with Piper and their children. * Dan Gordon - (Greg Vaughan) (Season 2) : Dan moved into the house next door with his niece, Jenny, and instantly fell in love with Piper. They temporarily dated, but Dan could not take the place of Piper's first love, Leo. He later moved away, at the end of season two. * Jenny Gordon - (Karis Paige Bryant) (Season 2) : Jenny was Dan's niece. She was written off suddenly. * Cole Turner - (Julian McMahon) (Seasons 3-5, cameo in 7) : Cole was Phoebe's first husband - and also a half-demon, creating situations over which the sisters clashed. Originally a powerful villain, later taking other forms and roles throughout his character history. After his final vanquish at the hands of the sisters, he continued to watch over Phoebe, silently and unseen. * Adult Chris Halliwell - (Drew Fuller) (Season 6, cameo in 5, 7 and 8) : Chris, Piper and Leo's at the time as yet unborn son, came from the future to help defeat The Titans and save Wyatt one day turning evil. His adult form died at the hands of Gideon. Due to a change in the timeline, he later reappeared in the series finale. * Billie Jenkins - (Kaley Cuoco) (Season 8) : Billie was Paige's charge and while first over-confident in her abilities, eventually became a student of the sisters, helping them maintain their normal lives. After being swayed by her sister to betray the sister, she eventually sided with them in the series finale. Recurring * Penny Halliwell (Grams) - Jennifer Rhodes * Patty Halliwell (Mom) - Finola Hughes (Seasons 1 - 5, 7 and 8) * Victor Bennett - Anthony Denison (Season 1) & James Read (Seasons 3 - 8) * Sam Wilder - Scott Jaeck (Seasons 2, 5 & 8) * Little Wyatt Halliwell - Jason & Kristopher Simmons (Seasons 5 - 8) * Adult Wyatt Halliwell - Wes Ramsey (Seasons 6 - 8) * Little Chris Halliwell (Seasons 6 - 8) * Henry Mitchell - Ivan Sergei (Season 8) * Coop - Victor Webster (Season 8) * Jack Sheridan - Lochlyn Munro (Season 2) * Gideon - Gildart Jackson (Season 6) * Sheila Morris - Sandra Prosper (Seasons 5 - 7) * Elise Rothman - Rebecca Balding (Seasons 4 - 8) * Christy Jenkins - Marnette Patterson (Season 8) * Rex Buckland - Neil Roberts (Season 1) * Hannah Webster - Leigh-Allyn Baker (Season 1) * Barbas - Billy Drago (Seasons 1 - 2, 5 - 7) * The Seer - Debbi Morgan (Seasons 4 & 5) * Kyle Brody - Kerr Smith (Season 7) * Zankou - Oded Fehr (Season 7) * Leslie St. Claire - Nick Lachey (Season 7) * Belthazor - Michael Bailey Smith (Season 3 & 4) * Bob Cowan - David Reivers (Season 4 & 5) * Claire Pryce - Cristine Rose (Season 1) * Sophie '''- Amanda Sickler (Season 5 - 8) * '''Jason Dean - Eric Dane (Season 5 & 6) * Richard Montana - Balthazar Getty (Season 6) * Inspector Sheridan - Jenya Lano (Season 6 & 7) * Sandra - Elizabeth Dennehy (Season 7 & 8) * Dex Lawson - Jason Lewis (Season 8) Billing Order In the first three seasons, the actresses portraying the Charmed Ones are billed according to the ages of their characters: Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano. The initial five episodes lists the actors/characters as Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, T. W. King, Dorian Gregory, and Alyssa Milano. Beginning with episode six, the Charmed Ones are listed by character age, followed by the inspectors Andy Trudeau and Darryl Morris. From the 4th season onwards, the veteran leading actresses receive the coveted first and last billing while their new costar gets the middle spot: Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan, and Holly Marie Combs as "Piper". The leads are then followed by whichever supporting players are contracted for that particular season. If one of the supporting players does not appear in a particular episode, his/her name also does not appear in the opening credits. Brian Krause, who became a main cast member halfway through the second season, was in virtually every episode by the third season. His name is listed fourth in the credits from season three onwards, apart from in season eight where Kaley Cuoco (Billie) took that spot. Recurring Themes Sisterhood The heart of the show is the Charmed Ones' relationship with each other. It is because of the sister's bond that their power originates from the Power of Three wherein the breaking of that bond causes each sister to lose her powers. The episode Power Outage showcases this possibility when the sisters lose both their active and basic powers after a demon-influenced argument, only to be resolved when they sort out their differences in time to deal with the Belthazor (this event will be exploited later on in The Power of Three Blondes when the Charmed Ones' identities and powers are stolen by the Stillman Sisters). Supernatural reasons aside, the dynamic of the sisters is also a key feature in their own character. At the beginning of the series, the free-spirited and undirected youngest sister Phoebe clashed with the stern and methodical eldest sister Prue while the humble middle-child Piper acted as a peacekeeper between the two. This dynamic is challenged when Prue and Phoebe must fight against a ghost without Piper's presence. The dynamic is changed by the start of season 4 with the death of Prue and introduction of Paige to reconstitute the Charmed Ones. The now-eldest Piper finds it difficult to accept her new sister, being hardened and still grief-stricken about losing Prue, while Phoebe (now more mature) is more open to Paige. Much like Prue, Piper must take on a more matriarchal role with Paige who is naive and feisty (much like how Phoebe was) with Phoebe acting as an occasional peacekeeper. Character Development With the series always focusing on the constant development of their main characters, each of the main characters had recurring problem points of their lives. As women in their late twenties and early thirties, the sisters constantly had to cope with balancing their magical lives with their everyday and professional lives. Another returning source of personal conflict was the sisters' love life, the problems that arise from hiding a part of their lives from their human relationships (most notably the relationships of Prue and Andy, of Piper and Dan, of Phoebe and Jason, and of Paige and Henry) and hiding their often forbidden relationships with members of the magical community from the rest of the magical community (most notably Leo and Piper's conflict with the Elders, and Phoebe loving a half-demon Cole). Each sister had their own personal journey that was consistent throughout their run: * Prue's struggle came mainly from accepting the inevitability of death while also coming to forgive her father for leaving her and taking on the role as protector of her sisters. * Piper always had the most desire to have a normal life and pursue her dream of starting her own family. Once she gives birth to her first child, Piper continues to fight to maintain normalcy while raising a baby with god-like power. * Phoebe started off on a quest to make something of herself professionally and repair her relationship with her sisters. As Phoebe rose to celebrity status with her famous advice column, her character's focus changed to wanting to find love while continually at the brink of giving up on it due to bad experiences with past relationships. Her focus then narrows down to finding the father of her future baby, motivated by certain premonitions. * Paige's endeavor came from her desire to find her identity and live a balanced life with magic at her side while still maintaining some normalcy. Death of Main Characters As the sisters had to struggle with many forces of darkness, death was not an uncommon event in their lives. Each of the sisters died at several points of the series, with Piper and Phoebe dying nine times each, Paige dying seven times, and Prue dying three times. Except for Prue's death in the third season finale, in which she never returned, the protagonists always found a way out to return the respective Halliwells into life. However, not every death on Charmed has been so easily reversed, as several important supporting characters have died without being revived, such as Andy, Cole, and Adult Chris (though both Chris and Cole have appeared in episodes after their deaths, neither one was revived: Cole was in limbo, and Chris's first appearance was a personification of Leo's guilt, his second was a Chris from a different future). Personal Gain A constant theme in the show is that, as good witches, the Charmed Ones are unable to use their magic to further their own lives and satisfy their personal interests. Breaking this rule results in a negative consequence. Personal gain is introduced in the very second episode of the show and is explored in particular detail in Morality Bites, wherein the Charmed Ones use their powers to get revenge on mortal for inconveniencing them, resulting in an alternate future where the existence of magic is known and witches are prosecuted by mortals. As the show goes on, the personal gain becomes increasingly ignored without any direct consequences, mainly at the start of the eight season when the sister's use magic to hide their identities in order to pursue their normal lives. Whenever there are direct consequences, it's usually to support the current episode's narrative Exposure of Magic n the world of Charmed, the existence of magic as well as benevolent and malevolent forces remain hidden from human society. A recurring problem for the protagonists during the series was finding a way to fight the forces of evil within their world without being exposed as magical beings themselves. Spanning the series run, the show's writers featured episodes which detailed the dangerous consequences of magic being exposed to human society, most notably in the second season episode Morality Bites, which saw Phoebe's execution in an alternate future; the third season finale All Hell Breaks Loose, which lead to the death of Prue; and the seventh season finale Something Wicca This Way Goes...?, in which events lead the three witches and Leo to fake their deaths and assume new identities. However, the introduction of the Cleaners, a pair of beings capable of warping reality in order to maintain magic in secret, caused a violation of continuity Show Changes Initial changes Changes in story structure Departure of Shannen Doherty Timeslot changes Changes in the Charmed universe Budget cuts Notes Category:Fated